"Right… yes, I understand," Mirio answered as he paused to listen to Toshinori Yagi's reply to his inquiry. "I… I don't know. He is willing to come to U.A. or meet on neutral ground. I think that may be best for everyone involved."

Arowana listened intently, standing off to Mirio's side as the boy continued the call. The cavernous training room was otherwise devoid of life and nearly silent. Only the clan leader's steady tapping of his finger atop the empty hilt of his weapon hanging at his hip added any background noise.

"Okay. Tomorrow it is, then. No, I don't know where Tamaki is, and I'm getting worried, too. With classes tomorrow, I can't exactly go searching, but… I'll figure something out. I'm sorry for keeping all of this from you and being so shady lately. I'm just trying to do what I think is the right thing, and these people… I really do think they're good people. I hope you still trust me, Sir."

Mirio paused, listening in as the pro hero known as All Might spoke one last time.

"Pretty convincing. Good work, kid. See you soon."

"You too," Mirio replied before disconnecting the call and looking over to Arowana. "We're all set. He wants to meet tomorrow at the parking garage of the closed-down mall. The one where those murders took place a few months back."

"A grim, though pragmatic choice," Arowana said with a nod as he lifted a hand to stroke at his beard. "You have done well, Togata. I imagine that your upcoming conversation with All Might about your position here will be difficult, but… I will do my part to soften the blow with him during our meeting."

"I hope so," Mirio replied, sounding worried. "Can I know why we're on lockdown now? I really don't like th-"

The door at the far end of the training room flew open to reveal Overhaul, who took a few running steps into the room before slowing to a stop and looking the pair over. Ragged breaths echoed out from within his beaked mask as he glared at Mirio with sheer hatred in his eyes. The plastic folder that the U.A. student had dropped was clasped in one of Overhaul's hands, and the other was clenched into a claw as his fingers twitched with rage.

"You… with the Master…"

"Overhaul," Arowana said, his tone deadly serious as he moved to stand between the young men. "All is well. I am under no threat."

"No threat?" Overhaul asked, practically spitting the words. "He's a mole! A fraud! He means to undermine the entire institution of the Shie Hassaikai, a-"

Overhaul trailed off as Arowana raised a hand. The underling looked off to the side before closing his eyes, while his superior remained ever calm. Overhaul's fingers continued to twitch in anger before he clenched them into a fist, and Mirio watched while holding his breath. While he couldn't tell what was going through the doorman's mind, he knew that it wasn't good, and the situation was likely to turn sour quickly.

"…may I say something?" Mirio asked, stepping into Arowana's peripheral.

"That will not be necessary," the grandmaster denied as he lowered his hand. "Overhaul. You were instructed to guard the compound in our time of need, with particular emphasis on watching for Togata. Did you do so?"

Overhaul took another long inhale, the filters on his mask rattling with the breath. He still didn't meet Arowana's eyes.

"I tried."

"So you did," Arowana agreed. "And once Togata escaped, you came running to ensure my safety, did you not?"

"I did," Overhaul replied. "I would never let harm come to you, Master."

"Then why do you appear so consumed with emotion?" Arowana asked patiently. "Calm yourself. You did exactly as you were asked."

Overhaul finally looked back toward his leader, and by extension, Mirio. Rather than pride, his face was filled with utter confusion.

"But…"

"You have no need or authority to question my decisions regarding Togata, or yourself," Arowana asserted as he strode forward and laid a hand upon Overhaul's shoulder. "Your loyalty and initiative have not gone unnoticed. For your consistent, dogged service to the Shie Hassaikai, you will receive a significant promotion. Gone are your days of being a simple lackey. One like you is too valuable to leave in such a dead-end position as glorified bouncer."

Overhaul immediately sank into a deep bow, though he was still trembling. Upon looking back up, his tone of voice shifted entirely.

"My sincerest thanks, Master. I will not waste whatever opportunity you see fit to give me… and I will not fail you again."

Arowana withdrew his hand, resting it back upon the weaponless hilt at his side.

"Failure is not something to run from or even avoid, Overhaul. It can serve as a learning opportunity, and a shift in perspective in all but the most egregious circumstances. Your failure tonight was not your fault and will not be held against you. If anything, Togata's actions tonight benefitted you both, and our organization, greatly."

"They… yes," Overhaul agreed, though he sounded uncertain. With a nod, he offered the plastic folder of documents to Arowana. "Yes, they did. These are the details about All Might that Togata brought to us."

"They're mostly medical records," Mirio clarified as Arowana paused.

"That… will not be necessary," Arowana said as he turned away from the offered folder. "Not yet, at least. Togata- take them in my stead, and keep them safe."

"But… Master," Overhaul spoke up as Mirio took the parcel. "This could provide us a huge advantage, should the need arise for one."

"Until such a need arises… I would rather not sully a potential alliance with All Might," Arowana warned. "Were he to find out that such things were in our possession, it would erode his trust immediately. Our partnersip needs to be a lasting one, for the good of the Shie Hassaikai and all of Japan."

Mirio raised a brow, looking between Arowana and his subordinate. Overhaul's expression of total confusion mirrored Mirio's own, and finally, he looked over to catch Mirio's eyes.

"…as you wish," Overhaul said, sounding defeated. "I… will do whatever I can to… further such an alliance, even if I do not understand it."

"See that you do," Arowana ordered as he moved on past Overhaul and toward the exit door. "Take a moment to reconcile, you two. Soon, you will be working together more closely than before."

Neither of the boys said anything as their leader exited the room. Slowly, Mirio brought the folder down to rest at his side before offering Overhaul a nervous smile. Even with his face obscured by the mask, Mirio could tell that Overhaul didn't return it.

Amaya had always been fascinated by the grotesque, the strange, the risqué, and the morbid. Horror movies, prosthetic gore, surgery, tragedy, performance art- all of it was like a siren song to the young heroine, and the more unpalatable it was for the masses, the more intriguing it was for her. Amaya's taste in media had alarmed her father almost as much as her taste in men throughout high school… and he harshly disapproved of both. On the rare occasion that the two merged together, Amaya found herself almost magnetized to the boy in question while Vlad King tried desperately to pry them apart to no avail. Knowing her tendencies all too well, Amaya wasn't particularly surprised that she was fully invested in watching Juzo eat… but she was curious to the point that she worried she was watching a bit too intently for Juzo's comfort.

Juzo had somehow managed to find a way to eat food without dropping it all over the place despite his lack of lips and the majority of his cheeks. The reheated pizza that Amaya had provided seemed to serve as little challenge for him despite the inherent difficulty, though it did provide her with a view of the insides of Juzo's mouth with relative frequency. What almost looked like internal, extra tendons extending from the roof of his mouth down to beneath his tongue held his upper and lower jaws together. His teeth were oddly sharp and angular, though not quite as much as Eijiro's sharklike smile. All-in-all, though she could see a lot of what was going on in Juzo's mouth, Amaya found the entire process of eating far less disturbing than she had anticipated. Though it was still unusual, revealing, and a little unsettling, it was more impressive than anything else, and the heroine-to-be found herself appreciating Juzo all the more for it.

"So," Amaya began, unable to stop herself from pressing the matter, "I know you're not going to believe me on this one, but seeing you eat is actually kinda cute…"

Juzo stopped immediately, a paper plate with half a slice of pizza balanced in his lap. He fixed Amaya with an annoyed look before letting out a sigh that rattled through his teeth, though they remained clenched together.

"…don't start. It's not cute, and I'm still not thrilled about doing this in front of you. I'm only allowing it so that you'll stop asking."

"Juzo, do I seem like the type to bullshit people?" Amaya asked. "If something comes out of my mouth, I mean it. It's pretty interesting to see how you've managed to just… make it all work. You're good at eating, despite having so many things that should make it borderline impossible."

"Oh yes, that's what I wanted to hear," Juzo said sarcastically. "I'm good at eating. Such an impressive skill for an upcoming hero that people will otherwise run away from the second they see his face. I'm sure that will keep me off the 'Heroes Who Look Like Villains' annual list."

"Fuck that list," Amaya said harshly as she took a bite of her own slice. "Seriously. It's so degrading and shitty that I can't believe it still exists in this day and age. I didn't mean it as some backhanded compliment- I was being sincere. This has got to be an everyday struggle for you, but you've found a way. Doesn't look like you've even dropped anything yet."

Juzo breathed out through his nose before wrinkling it and looking down at his food.

"I still do, sometimes. It's… it is a constant struggle. I've just figured out how to make it work for the most part. That doesn't make it interesting, or cute, or anything else. It's just another thing I have to deal with, and it makes me hate eating."

"Fine, fine," Amaya relented. "If you won't take cute, then how about reassuring? Seeing you just deal with it lets me know that no matter what gets thrown our way, you're one of the people who will just commit to finding a way through it rather than sitting there and whining about how it isn't fair… and you'll probably try to do it in a way that inconveniences as few people as possible, even if you hate them. Is that closer to the mark?"

Juzo blinked, the corner of his mouth twitching.

"That… yes, I can live with that. And I suppose after our few interactions, I can already tell that you're not the type to give up on someone no matter how much they wish you would. You're really not disturbed by me…?"

"Quitting is for little bitches," Amaya announced as she finished her slice of pizza and set the plate aside on the mattress. "And I'm not disturbed by you at all. Can I ask you some things? I know I'm pushing it, but there are two things I really want to know, and if I don't get answers, I'll be wondering about them all night."

Juzo cast his eyes up to the ceiling and mirrored Amaya's motions, setting the plate off to the side.

"Fine. You get two, and nothing more tonight. And then I get to ask you some questions."

"Open book," Amaya declared proudly as she spread her arms out to the sides. "Question One- do you have a specialist for your teeth, or do you just see an everyday dentist? Caring for them must be a whole ordeal…"

"Actually, it's… neither," Juzo said as he shifted his posture to something a bit more relaxed. "My mask has built-in cleansing tech that maintains my teeth throughout the day. I only have to brush the insides and care for those surfaces manually. Every few years, I manage to upgrade, and the process gets easier. It's largely self-sustaining at this point."

"That's one hell of a support item," Amaya praised. "I'm sure the workshop crew here could upgrade it a bit, if you ask."

"Maybe," Juzo considered. "I… think I'll look into that. See what they could do, or have them make a backup mask. If it's damaged in the field, I'm in trouble."

"I'd say so, yeah," Amaya agreed. "Second question, and… I mean, you don't have to answer this one, but I'm curious. How do you kiss?"

Juzo looked away, his tone a mixture of annoyance and sorrow.

"Do you honestly think I know the answer to that, after everything you've seen and heard? I've never had the chance to do that with someone. I'm expecting that I never will, either."

Juzo didn't resist as Amaya gently cupped his chin and turned his head back to face her.

"I had a feeling you might say that. Let's figure it out, then."

"W-what?" Juzo asked, eyes wide as Amaya leaned in. "But…"

"But what?" Amaya returned as she paused, her face close to his own. "How many times have I said you're cute or interesting or that I'd like to get to know you over the past few days? Not picking up on the hints?"

Juzo fell silent, simply watching as Amaya leaned in and around his face, looking for somewhere ideal to place her lips. Finally, she leaned in a brushed them against his jawline, near to where the bone met his neck. A shiver ran through Juzo's skin, and he had to admit, it felt nice.

"…that isn't… I can't give you the same feeling with my mouth…" Juzo lamented. "That tingle, it's… unless…"

"Unless?" Amaya dared to ask as she leaned back and placed her hand atop his. "We're just trying shit out, dude, and it's fine if you can't directly return the favor. Besides, it sounds like you're not all that interested in taking things further than just being friends. Consider this an experimental favor to try to help you out."

"Wait, I never…" Juzo began as he slowly extended his other hand. "I might be… interested. Hold still?"

Amaya remained in place, her eyes open as she watched Juzo's movements. Gently, he touched his fingertips to her lips… and then there was something odd. A vibration that wasn't quite electric and didn't quite feel like pins and needles pulsed through the membranes, seizing the girl's mouth with a pleasant, strangely intense feeling unlike any other. Amaya immediately recoiled and experienced a full-body shiver of her own, followed by a nervous smile.

"Holy shit, what was that…?"

"I didn't hurt you, did I?" Juzo asked as he pulled his hand back, looking worried.

"No, not at all," Amaya reassured as she leaned in once again. "That was… that was like a lip-orgasm, which is a brand-new thing for me."

Juzo let out a noise that Amaya wasn't quite sure how to interpret as he looked down at the blankets.

"That was… it was my Quirk. I can terraform inorganic material and return it to its original state with a simple touch. When it comes to something organic, I can… shift it a bit, but not completely alter it. There's a sort of natural resistance that I've never understand, but it makes little vibrations in place of completely warping anything living. I thought, perhaps, utilizing it on you…"

"You thought right," Amaya praised. "That was wild. I think I could get used to that in place of normal kisses… and I could definitely get used to you, if you'll let me."

Juzo's breathing quickened as Amaya took his other hand, rubbing at the backs of his palms with her thumbs. He watched the slow, gentle motions for a moment, pondering what exactly she meant… and what it might mean for him if he finally let her in.

"I… I think I could get used to you, too," Juzo said uncertainly. "I… think?"

Author's Note:

Next time- Dai & Kyoka.

-RD